posted March 19, 2009 at 12:30 EST in March Madness Articles
Madness Betting - Ohio State is Back
by BetUS Staff
Saints look to topple Buckeyes
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After a one-year absence the Ohio State Buckeyes return to the NCAA Tournament on Friday with their opening-round matchup versus the Siena Saints. Last season the Saints provided college basketball betting fans with an early upset. Can they make it two in a row on Friday?
The Saints are making their fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the MAAC and the conference tournament for the second straight year. Siena posted a 26-7 record this season, which included a 16-2 record in the MAAC. In the conference tournament the Saints knocked off Niagara 77-70 in the final behind a gutsy 19-point performance from Kenny Hasbrouck. The Saints’ leading scorer led his team into March Madness despite playing with a nagging calf injury.
In last year’s tournament the Saints were a No. 13 seed and delivered a first-round upset by whipping Vanderbilt 83-62 as a 7-point underdog on the college basketball odds. Hansbrouck scored 30 points in the upset and will need to deliver another big performance on Friday if Siena hopes to make it into the second round again.
The Buckeyes are back in the tournament after having to settle for an NIT invitation last year – but at least their NIT invitation led to a championship. Ohio State returns to the Big Dance this year after posting a 22-10 record, with a 10-8 mark in the Big Ten. In the Big Ten tournament the Buckeyes made it to the final after taking care of Wisconsin in the first round and upsetting top-seeded Michigan State in the semifinals. In the tournament final the Buckeyes came up short in a 65-60 loss to Purdue as a 5.5-point favorite. Evan Turner netted 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds to lead the Buckeyes in that loss.
The Buckeyes and Saints tip off at 9:40 pm EDT on Friday at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The close proximity to Ohio State could give the Buckeyes a slight advantage due to less travel time and the likelihood of a packed house of Buckeye fans. The Buckeyes are a slim 3-point favorite. The winner will move on to the second round to face the winner of the Louisville/Morehead State matchup.
